title: The role of informatics and decision support in utilization management.
abstract: Information systems provide a critical link between clinical laboratories and the clinicians and patients they serve. Strategic deployment of informatics resources can enable a wide array of utilization initiatives and can substantially improve the appropriateness of test selection and results interpretation. In this article, we review information systems including computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems, laboratory information systems (LISs), electronic health records (EHRs), laboratory middleware, knowledge management systems and systems for data extraction and analysis, and describe the role that each can play in utilization management. We also discuss specific utilization strategies that laboratories can employ within these systems, citing examples both from our own institution and from the literature. Finally, we review how emerging applications of decision support technologies may help to further refine test utilization, "personalize" laboratory diagnosis, and enhance the diagnostic value of laboratory testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, United States. Electronic address: jmbaron@partners.org.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Anand S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dighe
mesh_terms: D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems; D064790:Clinical Laboratory Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D006801:Humans
keywords: Analytics; Clinical decision support; Laboratory utilization; Provider order entry